Western food

[phantom1949]

Interesting topic. My wife can eat many western foods and even likes a some of it a little but she much prefers Chinese food. One of the major challenges of a Sino American marriage is going out to eat in a restaurant that isn't Chinese. She can read the menu somewhat but doesn't know what these dishes are. For me to explain them to her is indeed sometimes impossible. I have to guess on what I think she might like and I am wrong more often than not.

 

Sounds like you order both dishes, our SO trys both and eats the one she likes. You eat what's left over.

[SinoTexas]

Wow! That is quite a list of heart healthy western cuisine My SO is from Wuhan. Maybe it was my lame discription of cheese which she was unable to understan. I tried the McDonalds approach but it did not seem to work. Another member gave me the Chinese word for cheese, so I think I will try again tonight

 

While I was in China my SO and I ate some very fine Chinese food. I remember before we parted company, we had lunch and she stated that she was a very good cook. My hotel had a restaurant which served western style food, but she did not seem interested in trying it out.

 

I know that when she arrives, my diet will consists mainly of Chinese food and to be honest it will probaby be healthier than some of the crap that I am eating now. What have been some of the experiences of members with trying to get their SO's to eat western food?

 

Side note: I had read somewhere that Cheese was not part of the diet in China. I tried to describe cheese to my SO the other day during a phone conversation. I had a real tough time and finally gave up

SO and me trade-off very much in this matter.She cooks as good as ANY resturuant in China,and would actually rather cook here at home than go to a resturuant.She LOVES hotdogs,Twix candy bars (ofcourse she quite due to "inflating"),Cheeze-Its,Sweet Lebanon Bologna sandwiches,Grape soda,Taco Bell,my home made chile and BBQ chicken,cole slaw,tossed salads,Cheetoes Cheese Puffs,many other "fat western foods".She does know what to indulge in and what not too.She came here w/ an open mind and I try to let her try everything as I did when I was in China for awhile.We both think it's very cool "trading off" our cultures and cuisines.

My fiancee is also from Hubei Province and she is very anxious to try Texas cuisine. She some how managed to find a few American cook books that are written in Chinese and asks me if such and such dish is available in Texas. She is certainly game to try western foods and wants to learn how to prepare some of them. She does like American style cheese as I brought some with me the last time I was back. I'm sure we will visit the Asian markets as well as HEB, Central Market, Whole Foods and other here in the Houston - Austin - San Antonio area. I think our kitchen will be a blend of international cuisines as I like to cook a variety of international foods and so does she. Now I just gotta find the Chinese word for menudo and barbacoa.

 

As aye,

 

Jim

[jim_julian]

Lao Po has adopted pretty well to western food. I've mentioned before that she really likes salads. The one thing she doesn't like is meat or fish that is not cooked to death. Your should hear her tell friends in China about me eating a rare steak!

[MRMC]

My wife makes Western food as well as Chinese food. The reason many do not in the beginning make Western food, is that it tastes terrible in China (in most cases). When they get here to the USA, they find that Western food is not bad and even good.

[jemmyell]

Loving Candle likes western breads, and really likes bacon and peanut butter! We mostly eat Chinese meals that her and her daughter cook, but I have started cooking sometimes too. Her daughter tried to banish the tostada shells to upstairs claiming they had 'no taste', so I made some refried beans and we had Tostadas which both of them did like! They both claim to not like cheese, but on tostadas or pizzas it is just fine.

 

BTW, she makes GREAT dumplings also!

 

-James

[toy_rn65]

My wife makes Western food as well as Chinese food. The reason many do not in the beginning make Western food, is that it tastes terrible in China (in most cases). When they get here to the USA, they find that Western food is not bad and even good.

 

I will have to agree with you on the case of most Western food in China tastes horrible. I found an exception during the few days me and my SO spent in BJ for the New Year (I am sure there are more decent Western food in BJ that I don't know about). We were walking around one night trying to decide what is for dinner when we came across an Out Back Steak House and I remembered she told me she never had steak before so in we went. After spending some time explaining to her what all were in the manual, we ended up ordering well done prime rib with salad for her and rare rib eye with potato soup for me (I had to explain to her no one eat soap ) I wished they had 18oz. instead of only 10oz. She liked the salad but didn't like my potato soup with cheese. She said it looked like...... When the steak came, I would say they killed that prime rib but my rib eye was perfect. And so, that was her first encounter with steak. I told her, "Wait till you try the steak at Texas Road House back in the states without spending a fortune!" When we got back to her hometown, she was telling all her friends that she is marrying a mountain man from America. The fact that I was in need of a hair cut badly did not help. She was tell them how I was chomping on a cow while it was still bleeding That was the first time I saw such expression can be done on a person's face from their reactions.

[rogerinca]

My wife makes Western food as well as Chinese food. The reason many do not in the beginning make Western food, is that it tastes terrible in China (in most cases). When they get here to the USA, they find that Western food is not bad and even good.

 

 

You make a very good point here !!

[Carl]

When Ying first came here she was only interested in cooking Chinese food, but in the last year she has adapted to most western foods. She likes most of the meals I have cooked. She likes many of the meals I have cooked such as chili, spaghetti and other pasta dishes, baked fish, chicken and pork. She also likes the breakfasts I have made made for her such as sausage or bacon, eggs, hash brows and biscuits or hot cereals (oatmeal. cream of rice and wheat)

 

She has also learned some american cooking techniques by either watching me as I cook or by watching the Food Channel. She has also learned to use some of the kitcken gadgets I have, such as the crock pot, mixer, blender, microwave and meat grinder.

 

But her greatest accomplishments has been pizza and baked bread......I kid you not.....my wife who a year ago had no clue as to how use an oven now makes fresh pizza that rivals all the different pizza places I have eaten in my entire life. In learning in how to make pizza dough it was just a short jump to loves of fresh baked white and whole wheat breads that remind me of the baked breads my mother and grandmother made when I was a small child.

 

Ying enjoyed cooking before, but now she is absolutely giddy with her newfound skills. Recently she has begun to make eggrolls that are better than the eggrolls I ate in the restaurants.

[Dennis143]

When Ying first came here she was only interested in cooking Chinese food, but in the last year she has adapted to most western foods. She likes most of the meals I have cooked. She likes many of the meals I have cooked such as chili, spaghetti and other pasta dishes, baked fish, chicken and pork. She also likes the breakfasts I have made made for her such as sausage or bacon, eggs, hash brows and biscuits or hot cereals (oatmeal. cream of rice and wheat)

 

She has also learned some american cooking techniques by either watching me as I cook or by watching the Food Channel. She has also learned to use some of the kitcken gadgets I have, such as the crock pot, mixer, blender, microwave and meat grinder.

 

But her greatest accomplishments has been pizza and baked bread......I kid you not.....my wife who a year ago had no clue as to how use an oven now makes fresh pizza that rivals all the different pizza places I have eaten in my entire life. In learning in how to make pizza dough it was just a short jump to loves of fresh baked white and whole wheat breads that remind me of the baked breads my mother and grandmother made when I was a small child.

 

Ying enjoyed cooking before, but now she is absolutely giddy with her newfound skills. Recently she has begun to make eggrolls that are better than the eggrolls I ate in the restaurants.

Dern Carl, out of all the Texans here, I'd put your home on the top of my visit list, after reading that post.

 

I don't need no invite do I? I'd give you a weeks notice, so that Ying can be well prepared. You lucky bugger.

[aclassic]

My SO is also from Hubei Province. I guess we will have plenty of Chinese food (yummy), western food and Tex Mex. I am Latino, my parents having been born in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican food is quite differenct from Tex Mex or Mexican Food. Will be interesting to see how she reacts to white rice with red kidney beans or Mogongo con carne frita etc. I'm really looking forward to the whole experience.

 

Wow! That is quite a list of heart healthy western cuisine My SO is from Wuhan. Maybe it was my lame discription of cheese which she was unable to understan. I tried the McDonalds approach but it did not seem to work. Another member gave me the Chinese word for cheese, so I think I will try again tonight

 

While I was in China my SO and I ate some very fine Chinese food. I remember before we parted company, we had lunch and she stated that she was a very good cook. My hotel had a restaurant which served western style food, but she did not seem interested in trying it out.

 

I know that when she arrives, my diet will consists mainly of Chinese food and to be honest it will probaby be healthier than some of the crap that I am eating now. What have been some of the experiences of members with trying to get their SO's to eat western food?

 

Side note: I had read somewhere that Cheese was not part of the diet in China. I tried to describe cheese to my SO the other day during a phone conversation. I had a real tough time and finally gave up

SO and me trade-off very much in this matter.She cooks as good as ANY resturuant in China,and would actually rather cook here at home than go to a resturuant.She LOVES hotdogs,Twix candy bars (ofcourse she quite due to "inflating"),Cheeze-Its,Sweet Lebanon Bologna sandwiches,Grape soda,Taco Bell,my home made chile and BBQ chicken,cole slaw,tossed salads,Cheetoes Cheese Puffs,many other "fat western foods".She does know what to indulge in and what not too.She came here w/ an open mind and I try to let her try everything as I did when I was in China for awhile.We both think it's very cool "trading off" our cultures and cuisines.

My fiancee is also from Hubei Province and she is very anxious to try Texas cuisine. She some how managed to find a few American cook books that are written in Chinese and asks me if such and such dish is available in Texas. She is certainly game to try western foods and wants to learn how to prepare some of them. She does like American style cheese as I brought some with me the last time I was back. I'm sure we will visit the Asian markets as well as HEB, Central Market, Whole Foods and other here in the Houston - Austin - San Antonio area. I think our kitchen will be a blend of international cuisines as I like to cook a variety of international foods and so does she. Now I just gotta find the Chinese word for menudo and barbacoa.

 

As aye,

 

Jim

[yuan fen]

Ooopps....

 

I think it might be off to the culture discussion.

 

Jie has this same "pre-determined" notion about "Western Food."

 

She does not eat many things because she will get fat, well this is the answer I get.

 

She is not here yet, a few more weeks.

 

But, in many cases I have taken my co-workers from Shanghai to eat at many homecooked resturants they say, "this like China food, I like."

 

This is Southern Food, or Soul food. "Cheap it is," and very different from main stream resturants in the US. My friends are from various locals in China, they usually stay for 3-4 weeks at a time, and we frequent the same place often at their request.

 

Make them Fat? Maybe?

 

No problem,

 

Lao po can cook her greens, I will cook my "ro".

 

 

 

 

(meat)

Are you talking there or here? I am curious what they liked? Can you elaborate?

 

PS: I see some sorta new folks. Welcome to CFL. Hope your journey is smooth.

 

 

Here. We have co-workers come to McKinney often. Since I speak "slower," and have "Chinese Wife" I get "detail." Company paid. Usually get great seats at the games too. B-Ball, Hockey, Fooseball.

 

Anyway,

 

Ribs, neck bones, ox tail, greens, "East Texas" hot links (Pittsburg certainly) , fried taters, green beans, pork chops, cabbage, cornbread, and pigs feet. Didn't have a chance to try hog mals, or chittlins, but I bet they would have been liked as well. Cajun/Creole food goes well with the ones who like it spicy. Red beans and rice with seafood, mud bugs, ettoufee, hit it with Tabasco. Mmmmmm-Mmmmm.

Just good ole Texas BBQ is a favorite too! .

Tex-Mex, so-so. There is not many true Mexi-resturants here in Mckinney. I did see flour tortillas in China, well they were steamed. Jie makes them. I need to teach her how to make vinison tamals.

 

Now, pizza, fried chicken, and hamburgers?, they have no interest in usually, they can get that in Shanghai

Edited January 17, 2007 by yuan fen (see edit history)

[Dennis143]

My SO is also from Hubei Province. I guess we will have plenty of Chinese food (yummy), western food and Tex Mex. I am Latino, my parents having been born in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican food is quite differenct from Tex Mex or Mexican Food. Will be interesting to see how she reacts to white rice with red kidney beans or Mogongo con carne frita etc. I'm really looking forward to the whole experience.

You know, next time Leiqin makes dumplin's I'm gonna take a few won tons and wrap them around a charizo, calantro, jalapeno, salsa mix and see what comes out of it. I wonder if I should tell her.

[warpedbored]

Interesting topic. My wife can eat many western foods and even likes a some of it a little but she much prefers Chinese food. One of the major challenges of a Sino American marriage is going out to eat in a restaurant that isn't Chinese. She can read the menu somewhat but doesn't know what these dishes are. For me to explain them to her is indeed sometimes impossible. I have to guess on what I think she might like and I am wrong more often than not.

 

Sounds like you order both dishes, our SO trys both and eats the one she likes. You eat what's left over.

You pretty much nailed it.

[SirLancelot]

They both claim to not like cheese, but on tostadas or pizzas it is just fine.

 

 

That describes me pretty well too. I don't like cheese at all, but I do make an exception for mozzarella cheese on pizza and on spaghetti. Don't like most Mexican food either--so no tostadas for me--but beef fajitas are delicious!

 

I think the age of your SO is quite relevant to whether she likes or dislikes Western food. Ok, before anyone with his 80 year old SO screams that she loves American food, I'm sure some older SOs will enjoy Western food as well, but the younger Chinese generation is being exposed to more Western food than the previous generations. They are more accepting of Western food and some in fact fully embrace and long for some types of Western food.

 

I've had a few GFs in China and they were relatively young (early 20's) and they've all enjoyed many types of Western food, especially various forms of green salads. They also liked steak, pizza and Italian pastas.

 

My current SO also enjoys Western food but she prefers Chinese food the most of course. She loves green salads. She'll probably be eating salads every day once she gets here.

[Dennis143]

Our (junk) foods are loaded with sugar and carbohydrates that cause our insulin levels to go whacky to only crave more. The body stores excess sugar and carbs as fat to be used as an energy source. I see Chinese women over 40 who all keep their thin figures. I then see the younger generations with their body fat, from eating western (junk) foods.

 

Chinese have a passed-down acquired taste that are very different from our western tastes. Now, those of you who are isolated from available Chinese markets and restuarants, don't start telling me how your SO is different. They may be just too polite to tell you. They do have acquired taste that are very different from ours. Just be careful about feeding them junk food!!